Electric flatiron



M. C. BERSTED ELECTRIC FLATIRON March 18, 1930.

Filed Feb. 16, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l Mien/v (I EERSTE@ BY @mA/www1! ATTORNEY March'l, 1930 M. c. BERsTED 1,751,124

ELECTRIC FLATIRON Filed Feb. 16, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A44/emv lG 5525 750.

A TTURNEY March 18, 1930. M.c. BERSTED. `1,751,124

ELECTRICFLATIRON Filed Feb. 16,1923 4 sheets-sneey s MQQ/ ` INVEN TOR. Wer/N 6T 55,657.50

A TTORNEY March 18, 1930. M C.' BERSTED 1,751,124

ELEcTRI FLATUIRON Filed Feb.` 16, 1923 4 Smets-snee"L 4;A

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5y QQ@ @w1/Mw A ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 1930 ITED STATES MARTIN C. BERSTEI), F DIEGO, GALIFORN.

ELECTRIC FLTIRON Application led February 16, 1923. Serial No. 619,386.

My invention relates to heat-regulating electric heating apparatus, more particularly to electric flat irons, and the primary object of this invention is improvements over my previous application for Letters Patent for electric fiat irons, filed in the United States Patent Uce September 28,' 1922, Serial Number 591,094, and the objects of my improvement are: First, to provide a flat iron of this class which is so constructed and in which the main portions are so supported relatively to each other at a main portion, that the various parts are permitted to eX- pand freely, relatively to each other when heated; second, to provide an electric flat iron of this class which may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled, and in which theseparately operative units are su ported separately and may be easily replace 2o third, to provide a contact making and breaking means for electric heating apparatus, operative by the distortions of a loosely mounted, expansible, thermostatic plate, when subjected to various heats; fourth, to provide a contact making and breaking means for electric heatinapparatus in which the operating expansl le member is insulated from the contact making portions, or the electrically charged portions of the means, and' in which the movement of the contact making members is increased over the movement of the expansible members; fifth, to provide a contact making and breaking means of this class in which the contact making members are rigidly supported and pivotally movable relatively to each other, and at all times retained in alignment with each other; sixth,

to provide a mechanically o erated thermof indicator for electric heating apparatus; seventh, to provide combined means for indicating the temperature of electric heating apparatus and manual means for adjusting the temperature of the apparatus at substantially the temperature desired; eighth, to provide a novelly constructed, mechanically operated, thermo-indicating device; ninth, to rovide as a whole a novelly constructed, eat-indicating, heat-adjusting and automatic heat-control means for electric heating apparatus; tenth, to provide as a whole a novelly constructed, electric dat iron, and eleventh, to provide a dat iron of this class which is very simple and economical of construction proportionate to its functions, durable, ecient, compact, reliable, easily adjusted, easy to operate, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order." I

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularlyl set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my at iron; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof, showing by dotted lines certain hidden portions thereof; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view thereof taken through 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing certain parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view of my iron taken through 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing certain parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration and showing certain hidden and other parts'by dotted lines; Fig. 6 is an enlarged, plan view of the contact making and breakin means of my fiat iron, shown separate ang apart therefrom; Fig. 7 is a transverse, sectional view of my iat iron taken through 7 7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a fragmen- 8f tary, sectional, plan view taken through 8-8 of Fig. 4, showing in detail the mechanically operated, thermo-indicating device of my flat iron; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through 9-9 of Fig. 3 of the hook means connecting the casing members; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the fiat iron taken through 10-10 of rig. 4.

Like characters of reference refer to simi lar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

The base plate 1, insulating material 2,

lheating elements 3, upper plate 4, screws 5,

main Acasing member 6, main screw 7 handle i ductors 20-and 21, circuit breaking lever 22,

spring 23, screw 24, breaker points 25 and 26, terminal posts 27, conductors 28 and 29, thermostat member 30, adjusting screw 31, screw adjusting lever 32, clamp screw 33, end

support and casing member 34, screw 35,

thermo-indicator support 36, screw 37, thernio-plates 38 and 39, screw 40, indicating linger 41, pivot member 42, indicating point 43, mica plate 44, dial plate 45, and the terminal protector and support 46, constitute the principal parts and portions of my automatic heat-regulating electric fiat iron.

The lower and heating portion of my flat iron, consisting of the base plate 1, the insulating material 2, positioned thereon, the

electric heating elements positioned between the insulating material, the upper plate 4 positioned above the insulating material and clamping the latter between the plates 1 and 4, which plates are screwed together by the screws 5, is of the conventional construction. The main casing member 6, enclosing the members 2, 3 and 4, is secured to the upper plate 4 by the main screw 7, and is so con-v structed at its upper portion as .to receive the lower ends of the handle supporting members 8 and 9, which extend respectively through slots 6@ and 6b in the casing member 6 and are secured in position by the main screw 7 At the' upper extended ends of said handle supporting members is secured the handle 10 by means of the bolt 11, which handle member is provided with lingerl grooves 10a at its lower portion. The head of lthe main bolt 7 issunk into a recess in the casing member 6 and is concealed by a plate 12 which serves as a name plate and is secured to the member 6 by a lug .12a at one end and a resilient catch portion 12bl at its other end, extending into slots in said casing member.

The upper rear portion of the casing member 6 is enlarged and so-constructed as to receive the thermostat operated switch mechanism, which is preferably assembled in a separate complete unit supported on the thermostat support 13, which support is preferably -secured at its one end only by the screw 7 to permit expansion and contraction in all directions, said one end being positioned between the lower ends of the handle supporting members and the upper plate 4. It will be noted that the support 13 is provided with lugs 13g near its free end which rest in the notched portions 6d at the rear end of the casing 6 and are adapted to support the free end of the support 13, permitting free expansion and contractlon of sald support. Said thermostat support 13 is provided with a pair of laterally extending lugs 13a and 13", through which extend respectively the terminal bolts 14 and 15, which are insulated therefrom by the insulating washers 17 and 18, preferably of mica. The holes in the lugs through which the terminal bolts extend are considerably larger than the diameter of the bolts and are positioned centrally therein by the insulating washers 17, Which are positioned in recesses in said lugs. Positioned between the insulating washers and the head and nut of the bolts are the washers 19, preferably of metal.` Secured to said bolts, intermediate the metal washers and the heads thereof, are the conductors 20 and 21 which are secured at their opposite ends respectively to the free ends of the electrical heating element 3, as shown best in Figure 5 of the drawings. Pivotally mount ed in and above the support 13 is the circuit breaking lever 22 by means of the spaced lugs 22la in the form of hooks at its one'end, which extend into the support 13, as shown best in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. At the opposite end of the lever 22 is provided a guiding lug 22", which extends downwardly between the spaced guiding lugs 13 at the end of the lugs 13a. It will be noted that the lugs 22a at the one end of the lever 22 are adapted to keep the same from tilting, and the lug 22b is adapted to prevent the lever from being shifted laterally. Near the end ofthe lever 22 provided with a guiding lug is a terminal bolt 16, extending therethrough and insulated therefrom as described, relative to the bolts 14 and 15. The bolts 14 and 16 are also positioned in alignment with and adapted to engage each other and are provided at their engaging portions with breaker points 25 and 26 respectively, preferably of pure silver. The breaker points of the bolts 14and 16 are held in constant engagement with each other when the iron is not in use or when the heat is not suficient to warrant their separation, by the spring 23, secured to the support 13 by the yscrew 24, Vsubstantially as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. The terminal bolts 15 and `16 are connected to the terminal bolts 27 by the conductors 28 and 29. The terminal bolts 27 are supported in and insulated from the upwardly and inwardly turned portion 13d of the support 13 by insulating washers 17 and 18,' and other washers 19, as described, relative to the terminal bolts. Provided at the rear portion of the supports 13 intermediate the lugs 13a and 13b is the circular recess 13e in which is loosely positioned the thermostat member 30 in disc form. Said V manner, so that when heated the disc will l be distorted upwardly at its central portion. It will be noted that it has been found by lll@ experiment that the thermostat member 30 will operate more freely when loosely posi tioned in the support 13 as described. Mounted in the boss 22c of the lever 22 and positioned centrally above the thermostat member 30 and adapted to engage the same is the multiple thread adjusting screw 31, which is accessible through the opening 6C in the casing member 6. Mounted on said adjusting screw is the' screw adjusting lever 32, frictionally secured thereto by the clamp screw 33, which lever extends through an opening 13t and outwardly beyond the main casing member 6 and upwardly, from which end it is adapted to be shifted by the operator in various positions for obtaining various heats. It will be noted that the portion of the casing 6 contiguous to the lever portion extending above the casing is provided with the letters L, M and H, indicating respectively the positions of the lever for relative low, medium and high temperature, as shown best in Figure 10 of the drawings. Secured to the rear portion of the main casing member 6 is the casing member 34, which serves as a partial support for the iron when positioned on its end and not in use, or a support for the thermo-indicating ineens, and for a guard for the lever 32. Said casing member is provided at its lower portion with lugs 34a and 34b which extend .through openings in the main casing member, the lug 34a being hook shaped, and is inserted first, and the other lug 34h, being provided With an enlarged inner end, is adapted to be inserted into an enlarged opening in the main casing member and when forced dowwardly into a reduced portion of the opening is adapted to retain the lug, and therefore the casing member 34, in position.` Said casing member is retained in said position by the :screw 35, extending 'into the thermostat support 13, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. Mounted in and secured to the casing member 34 is the thermo-indicator support 36 by the screw 37, which support extends through the opening 6e of the casing member 6. Mounted near the inner end of said support is the'pivot member 42' on which is mounted the indicating finger 41, which extends outwardly from said pivot member. The support 36 is provided atits opposite, outer end with an upwardly extending lug 36a. to which are secured the thermo-plates 38 and 39 by the screw 40. Said thermo-plates each consist of two plates of metal of different coeflicients of expansion, secured together in any convenient manner, and are positioned adjacent to each other and adapted to act simultaneously when subjected to the heat of the iron. Provided at the free end of the-plate 38 is a lug 38a provided with an elongated hole 38, which is adapted to receive a downwardly extending lug 41 of the indicating finger 41, by which means the indicating finger is carried around its pivotal axis bythe distortion of the thermo-plate when subjected to heat. The

indicating finger 41 is provided near its pivotal support .with laterally extending lugs 41b and 41, which are adapted to engage the support 36 and limit the movement .of the finger 41. Provided near the extreme end of said finger is a brightly colored indicator point 43, preferably a stone or other readily visible object. Directly above the circular path of the stone 43 of the indicating finger is a slot 34c in the casing member 34, so that the movement of said finger may be easily seen. Covering this opening is the mica plate 44 which is secured in position by the dial plate 45 which is secured to the casing member 34 by lugs provided thereon and extending through holes in the casing member. The dial platey 45 is provided with notches and numerals to correspond with degrees Fahrenheit calibrated to kcorrespond with the temperature within the casing member or of the Hat iron. Surrounding the terminal posts 27 is the terminal protector and` support 46, secured to the rear handle supporting member 9 in any convenient manner and resting at its lower end on the casing member 6. Said terminal protector is provided with la loop at its rear portion which, together with the outwardly extended portion of the casing member 34, serves asa sup ort when the iron is hot and not in use.

T iough I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as s et'forth in the appended claims.

1t is obvious from this construction that there is provided a flat iron in which the main portions are so constructed and supported relatively to each other that the various parts are permitted to expand freely when heated; that there is provided a fiat iron in which the separately operable units are supported separately, and may be easily replaced, assembled or disassembled; that there is provided a' contact making and breaking means for an electric heating apparatus, operative by the distortions of a loosely mounted. expansible, thermostatic plate, when subjected tovarious temperatures; that there is provided a Contact making and breaking means in which the operating members is insulated from the contact making portions and in which the contact making members are guided by reason of each other and in which the movement is increased relatively to the expansible member; that there is provided a mechanically operated, heat-indicating, heating apparatus Athat there is provided combined means lll -for indicating temperature and manual means for regulating the temperature of electrical heating apparatus at substantially the temperature desired; that there is provided vas .a whole a novelly constructed, heat-indieating, heat-adjusting and automatic heatcontrol means for electric heating apparatus; and that there is provided a 'lat iron which is very simple and economical of construction proportionate to its functions, durable, eicient, compact, reliable, easily adjustable, easy -to operate, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:v l

1. In a heating apparatus, a Contact making and'breaking means, including a. support, a single freely movable plate, capable of being distorted by heat, loosely mounted on and encircled by said support, an arm secured at one end, positioned contiguous to said plate, a screw mounted in said arm, adapted to be engaged by said plate, a contact member mounted in said support and another contact member mounted in said arm, adapted to engage said 'first mentioned contactl member, and lever means secured to said adjusting screw for adjusting the latter.

2. ln a heating apparatus, an electric contact making and breaking means, including a support, a single freely movable plate,

capable of being distorted by heat, loosely mounted on and encircled by said support, an arm secured at one end, positioned contiguous to said plate, a member mounted in said arm, adapted to be engaged by said plate, aY

contact member mounted in said support and another contact member mounted in said arm, adapted to engage 'said first mentionedY lever mounted on said adjusting screw for o adjusting the latter, and a clamp means in connection with said lever for rictionally connecting said lever to said adjusting screw.

5. In a heatingapparatus, an electric contact making and breaking means, including a support,`athermostat plate mounted thereon, a movable contact supporting member positioned contiguous to said plate, a contact member mounted on said supporting member and insulated therefrom, a second Contact member mounted in' cooperative relationship with said irst mentioned contact` member, and a multi-thread adjusting screw mounted in said contact supporting member extending towards said plate and adapted to be engaged thereby, and an adjusting lever, movable over a restricted arc, adapted to rotate said adjusting screw for-varying the space between said screw and plate, the limited movement of said lever effecting a full range of adjustment of said screw.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at San Diego, California, this 9th day of February, '1923.

MARTIN C. BERSTED.

said support, adapted to be moved by said A plate, a contact member mounted in said support, another contact member mounted at ythe opposite end of said lever in alignment with said first mentioned contact member, resilient means in connection with said support and said lever for forcing said contact members into engagement with each other, and guide means in connection with said support and said lever for retaining said contact members in alignment with each other.

4. In a heating apparatus, an electrical contact making and breakingl means, including a support, a single plate, capable of being distorted by heat, mounted thereon and enics 

